Religion 101: The marvelous matzo

Christ our Redeemer died on the cross, Died for the sinner, paid all his due. All who receive Him need never fear, Yes, He will pass, will pass over you. When I see the blood, when I see the blood, When I see the blood, I will pass, I will pass over you. Chiefest of sinners, Jesus will save; As He has promised, so He will do; Oh, sinner, hear Him, trust in His Word, Then He will pass, will pass over you. Judgment is coming, all will be there. Who have rejected, who have refused? Oh, sinner, hasten, let Jesus in, Oh, He will pass, will pass over you. O great compassion! O boundless love! Jesus hath power, Jesus is true; All who believe are safe from the storm, Oh, He will pass, will pass over you.

Words & Music: John G. Foote & E. A. H

For seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. Surely on the first day you must put away yeast from your houses because anyone who eats bread made with yeast from the first day to the seventh day will be cut off from Israel. Ex 12:15 The Net Bible, First Edition

When the Hebrew children cried out in their bondage to Egypt, He responded by sending Moses to lead them out. God sent ten plagues to convince Pharaoh that it was a bad thing for him to continue to enslave them. The last of these was the death of the first born in the land.

God told the Hebrews that if they killed a special lamb and placed the blood upon the frame of their doors, the hand of death would pass over them. This happened and the Hebrews were liberated. They were told to commemorate this liberation by having a special feast and remembrance every year. The matzo plays a very special role in this very sobering celebration.

The Old Testament is the record of God’s dealings with the nation of Israel. These dealings are more than just the interaction between Israel and God. They hold the foretelling of the truths about Jesus Christ, the savior Son of the God of the Old Testament. And, Passover is full of these foreshadowed truths. The marvelous matzo of Passover plays a big role also.

The first appearance of one of these foreshadowing objects of Passover is the butchered lamb. This lamb’s blood was the sign of the righteous household, the household that followed God. True Christianity believes that Jesus Christ is their Passover lamb. The “blood of Jesus the Son cleanses us from all sin” I John 1:7. That is not all that we can glean from the Passover Feast about Jesus Christ

Three matzos are found at the Passover table. They are placed within three pockets of a napkin. These matzos are bread without yeast. The biblical word for yeast is leaven. In the New Testament, leaven is used as a substitute for sin. So, the matzo was a symbol of a life without sin.

The kosher method of cooking matzo causes it to be striped by heat and with holes to keep it from warping. The Bible says, “By His stripes we are healed.” I Peter 2:24 The Bible also records that in the evening of His crucifixion He was pierced by a spear.

Now, let’s get back to the napkin of three matzos. During the night of Passover, the father of the house takes out the middle matzo. He breaks it in half. Then, he hides the middle matzo for the children to find it after the Passover meal. Usually, the child who finds it is rewarded. When Jesus took the bread at the Last Supper, He said, “This is my body, which is broken for you.”

Now, you might see how Jesus was foreshadowed in the Passover. There are other parts of the Passover Feast, which also point to the actions and ministry of the Christ, especially during the Last Supper. And for the most part, what has been explained above was fully understood. But, for many scholars of this culture, it is not as easily understood.

As the world approaches two of the world’s highest holy days, there are attempts being made to explain them through academically censured eyes.

Using the term academic is not an opening salvo against research, learning, and scholarship. Research, in an attempt to find what is behind a phenomenon, is essential for man to continue to learn about his universe. He sees his world and tries to understand why it does, how it does, and when it does. Man tests his theories. The results, then, are attempted to be duplicated by others. This is true about the hard sciences.

But these hard sciences are not the critics of mankind’s religions, or spiritual practices. It is the disciplines of literature, anthropology, humanities, and philosophy, which tend to call the religious activities of men into question. They determine their answers by interpreting everything they encounter with a paradigm, which rejects the supernatural. Or, if they accept the supernatural, it is a modern version that rejects any principals that seem to be ancient, ritualistic, and just plain unacceptable to anyone who would fit within their circles.

Yes, Christianity is a bloody religion. Sin is a bloody fact. Sin kills. Christ was sacrificed so that His blood could cover sinners. The marvelous matzo teaches about the sinless Christ and His work for mankind.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks, he broke it, gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat, this is my body.” And after taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matt 26:26-28 The Net Bible, First Edition

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Lloyd is a student of the Bible and theology and how they are addressed in American culture, both past and present; to him, one of the best measures of religious influence upon a people is found within their cultural practices. He is known in other venues as "the Galloping Theologian." Visit Lloyd's website, or send him a message.